3 Different Types of Transportation – Transportation Modes

Transportation Engineering

Transportation is basically a way for a person to travel from one place to another. In the beginning of time people simply used their feet to get them from point a to point b. Eventually, they began using animals such as horses, camels and mules to ride on and get to their destinations. Once the wheel was invented, the wagon soon followed and then people were truly able to travel longer distances. Nowadays the types of transportation vary greatly and there are many options for traveling.

Transportation Modes

There are basically 3 types of transportation. By land, by sea and by air. The modes are described below briefly.

Transportation Modes

By Land

People travel everywhere by land by several different types of transportation such as car, truck, train or bus. When the automobile was first invented, only the rich were able to afford them and they were a luxury item. As more and more people could afford them, the price of the automobile came down and people began to spread out from the major cities. Automobiles then became a necessity to get people to and from work, stores, doctor appointments and such.

Train tracks criss-cross the country and people began relying on riding the rails to travel farther distances. Trains brought people from city to city and back again more quickly than driving and people found it a better alternative. Hobos popped up when trains became so popular and they just followed the trains, hitching rides and moving from coast to coast.

When trains started to lose popularity, the bus started gaining more and more riders. Soon, bus companies were offering trips to take passengers all over. Bus tickets were typically cheaper than train tickets and while the journey was longer than than train, people flocked to purchase tickets.

By Sea

Ships carrying cargo and sailors have been around for centuries, dating back to the Vikings and their great war ships. Cruise ships and passenger ships began gaining favor among people. People could now move from continent to continent or coast to coast via the sea. Immigrants began flocking to different countries due to sea travel.

Sail boats and row boats are also types of transportation. These boats are usually used in recreational situations. Row boats can be found in rivers and lakes while sail boats are seen in oceans, gulfs and large lakes.

By Air

When airplanes first were invented, many people were skeptical as to their durability and ability to remain airborne. As the single-engine planes gained in popularity, new challenges arose as to the feasibility of creating an aircraft that could transport several people at one time. Commercial airplanes are now very much a viable option for traveling. People can be transported from city to city or country to country.

There are several different forms of aircrafts today including cargo planes, fighter jets, commercial passenger planes, recreational single-engine planes, etc. People use air travel as a way of moving from one place to another.